Former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, John Sandweg, has labeled President Donald J. Trump’s deportation numbers “a remarkable accomplishment” in recent remarks.
Sandweg, who served as acting ICE director under former President Barack Obama, noted that 600,000 deportations this year—100% from the interior—represent a stark departure from previous administrations. Under Obama, he explained, approximately 400,000 deportations occurred, but only about 250,000 were at the border.
“I know there’s frustration at these numbers, but I have to tell you, this is a—it is a remarkable accomplishment. These numbers are stunning to me,” Sandweg said, emphasizing that the Trump administration’s strategy under White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Border Czar Tom Homan has created a critical distinction.
The Department of Homeland Security reported 2.5 million illegal immigrants have left the U.S. since President Trump returned to office, including those who departed voluntarily. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated: “Illegal aliens are hearing our message to leave now. They know if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return.”
